Change Of Heart
by Suni-Dlight
Summary: When Draco moves into a Muggle neighborhood to escape his past, he expects to be left alone by his very conservative neighbors, but what comes about instead leaves him with a much bigger surprise.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter.**

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I pulled the 'Sold' sign from the front yard of my new house, sighing at the large hole it left in the ground. He'd have to fix it later, when the neighbors weren't so busy watching me.

Muggles. What on earth had possessed me to move around Muggles?

Well, at least this way, no one would expect to find me here all the way up in northern England. . . . Though, technically speaking, I wasn't actually hiding out. I wouldn't care if Potter and his friends found me. What I was hiding from, was the after-affects of the bloody war, the loss of my childhood home, my family, my life. . . .

What I needed was a fresh new start. Here, nothing would be expected of me except to be a good neighbor, which meant, hopefully, nobody would bother me and I could go on with my business.

Throwing the old sign into the shed at the back of my house, I went inside of my small home, dusting of my hands. The house was indeed smaller than anything I had ever lived in before. If I had to call it anything, I'd call it a two-story cottage. Walking into the living room, I took in the plain living room, with its green couch and matching armchair and it's bookshelves against the wall. The kitchen wasn't much more extravagant, with one wooden table and a chair to go with it, a refrigerator off to the side next to the oven and the sink. The den, my favorite place in the house, was still overcrowded with boxes of books and old paperwork, but in its midst was a comfortable leather chair and a mahogany desk. The bathroom and a linen closet rested down a small hallway off the bathroom. I looked towards the stairs where the entrances to my bedroom, another bathroom, and a spare bedroom lay.

Of course, I had no use for the spare bedroom so, as of now, it was simply another storeroom.

As I was heading for my den to straighten things out, there was a small, knock on my door, as if the person were scared to actually get my attention. I caught myself just before simply using magic to open the door and pulled it open myself. Living as a Muggle was definitely going to take some work.

The woman standing at my door looked shocked, to say the least, at the sight of me, but he had to admit I was shocked at the sight of her. This woman looked more like a Muggle than any other person I had seen. To tell the truth, she was dress as if from one of those old . . . what do you call them? Oh, right, magazines. She wore a blue, flower pattern dress and flat toe shoes, her black hair drawn back into a bun. She looked so . . . conventional.

She smiled brightly, suddenly. "Welcome to the neighborhood," she said, happily with an Irish accent.

When I didn't reply, she seemed to get nervous. She looked to the ground for a second, before thrusting out a plate of cookies. "I made these for you, as a welcome present."

I still didn't respond, just watched her. She was pretty, I suppose, but it was mostly her eyes, which seemed to sparkle though there was no unique color to them at all; they were just brown, but it was like someone had thrown glitter into her eyes.

She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "My name's Samantha Justins, by the way. I know what it's like to be new; just moved here a couple of months ago. This neighbor is a tad bit . . . predictable, if you can't tell. That's why I'm dressed like this. The others that live here are all old squares."

Samantha laughed, slightly, trying to lighten the mood. I looked down because I wasn't used to this sort of thing, to speaking with Muggles.

Suddenly, a little boy poked his head out from behind Samantha, looking up at me apprehensively.

"Oh," Samantha said, following my gaze. "This is my son, Benjamin. Come on out, Benny, don't be shy."

Benjamin stepped out from behind her, his own brown eyes drifting up towards me. I looked from him to Samantha, wondering how on earth he could be her son. Sarah could only be my age, around twenty-two or twenty-three, but the boy looked to be about six.

"One of the many other reasons why people here don't like me," she whispered, seeming to catch what I was thinking. "But it doesn't matter because we love this neighborhood. I'm sure you'll grow to like it too."

Another awkward silence fell. Samantha held out the plate of cookies again and, this time, I took it. "Thank you," I said.

Samantha smiled widely at me, taking Benjamin's hand. "We'll just be going to let you finish settling in. See you, sometime?"

I was hesitant, but I nodded. Samantha nodded back, saying, "Well, see you then. Say bye, Benny."

The little boy waved at me, quickly before turning and trying to pull his mother. "Oh," she said. "I didn't quite catch your name."

Seeing as how she had given me her name, I figured it would only be polite to give her my name. But then I stopped, wondering just how far my name could have gotten in the Muggle world. So, instead, I said, "Malcolm. Drake Malcolm."

Samantha smiled again, saying, "Nice meeting you, Drake."

With that, she let her soon pull her way, back halfway down the street to number one, Losin Street.

Shaking my head, I moved back into my own house. So much for not being bothered. But I had to admit, i hadn't actually minded. I removed the wrap from the cookie plate, taking out a cookie, and bit off a piece.

Yum, chocolate chip.

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**A/N: lol, so kinda weird ending, right? Yeah I know. Anyway new story, hope you liked it so far. Just tell me what you think. Um, I don't think I have a teaser for this one yet so just stay turned for the next chapter. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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I groaned as the doorbell blared through the hallways of my house. Looking to the clock on the wall, I saw that it was only nine o' clock. I was exhausted from having worked to get my house in order all yesterday and had planned to sleep all day, if possible.

The doorbell blasted again and I was forced to crawl out of bed, throwing on my robe and slippers. "Coming, coming!" I cried as the doorbell ran again.

I pulled open the door, but no one was there.

"Excuse me."

Looking down I saw Benjamin Justins staring up at me, with a small smile on his face. I looked behind him, expecting to see his mom walk up behind him. When no one showed up, I looked back down at him and said, "Can I help you with something?"

"I just came to say hi," the little boy said, grinning now.

"Um . . . where's your mother?" I asked.

"Oh, she's at work right now. She works at a bakery. I'm with Mrs. Sandspot now. I would be at school but since its summer I stay with our neighbor."

I looked towards the house of the old woman who had come and harrassed me my first day here before looking back to Benjamin. "Well . . . why aren't you there now?"

"I don't like her house. It always smells like cat poop and medicine. And she doesn't ever want to play games with me. She's a really boring old lady."

"Well you should probably go back over there now, before she notices you're missing." I gave him a strained smile, closing the door with a relieved sigh.

"It's alright." I spun around to see Benjamin, standing behind me now with that smile still on his face. Opening the door, I made sure I wasn't just going crazy.

"How –?"

"She sleeps all day, really," Benjamin continued as if I hadn't just shut the door on him. "I guess being old makes you really sleepy. Do you still have the cookies mommy made?"

Without waiting for my answer, Benjamin made his way for the kitchen. Still stunned, I followed. Entering my kitchen, I found him sitting on the counter next to the plate of cookies, munching happily on one.

"Mommy makes the best cookies," he said, as I moved closer. "She makes the best everything really. But she wouldn't let me have a cookie this time because they were for you. . . . Do you have any milk?"

Sighing, I opened up the refrigerator and taking out the milk cartoon. I was starting to miss the quiet little boy who had hid behind his mother just yesterday. "You probably should go back to Mrs. Sandspots," I said as I poured him a glass and handed it to him.

"Please don't make me," he pleaded with me. "I really don't like it over there. It's so boring."

I could tell that there wasn't anything I could to make this little boy leave. Settling back against the counter, I sighed, looking towards him. "What time does your mother get off work anyway?"

"Not usually until three," the boy said. "It's the same time I get off from school so we always get to spend the evening together. She's always at school right at three too, because she says it's easy to clean up faster with magic."

Benjamin slapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes going wide. I jerked up, surprised. He shook his head, letting his hands drop. "I'm not supposed to say anything about that."

"You're mom is a witch?" I said, still shocked. It would explain how the kid got into my house after I closed the door

Benjamin, though he wasn't 'supposed to say anything', nodded vigorously. "Please don't tell the other neighbors. Mommy said if they knew we were magic they'd make us leave and I like it here. I've got a lot of new friends at school and mommy likes it 'cause it's quiet and we really don't want to move."

"I'm not going to tell anyone Benjamin," I said.

"Oh." The little boy fell silent for the first time since he had been in my house. He peeked up at me. "Are you a wizard?"

I sighed again, glancing at the little boy. "If I told you yes, would you tell your mother?"

"No! I'd never tell her!"

I took that to mean that would be the first thing he told her when she picked him up this afternoon. Strangely, I realized I didn't mind. Having neighbors that threatened to kick you out at the first sign of 'corruption' probably didn't lead to having a friend.

A friend. A rather new concept to me too, unless you counted Blaise.

"Mommy knows how to do all kinds of things with her magic," Benjamin was saying. "She's the best witch I've ever met. I asked her if her magic is what made her food taste so good and she said that it was just her 'inner magic'. She said she didn't need a wand to make good food. One day, I'm going to be just like her and I'll be able to do good things too and I'll be able to use a wand and make potions and do all kinds of nifty things. It'll be great. And soon, I'll be able to go to Hogwarts like mommy did and I'll learn so many knew things. Maybe one day, I'll be a teacher at Hogwarts too and I'll teach other kids neat stuff. Hey do you have anything to eat?"

A smirk came to my face as I pushed myself up to move to the fridge. Maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

There was a frantic knock on my door and I hurried to open it, a scared looking Samantha stood on my doorstep. "I'm really sorry to bother you, it's just . . . my little boy is missing, Benjamin. He was supposed to be at Mrs. Sandspots' house and he's not. He –"

"He's asleep on my couch," I said, cutting her off. "Come on in."

She stared at me stunned for a moment before moving quickly inside towards my living room. Benjamin lay just where I said he would be, snoring lightly.

"I'm so sorry," Samantha whispered as she moved towards him. "I wouldn't have ever thought he'd sneak over here. I hope he wasn't too much of a bother."

"It's fine," I said. "He really didn't like it over at Mrs. Sandspots' place, so he came over here. It's fine, really," I added as she looked over at me, worried.

"Well, thank you, for looking after him." She lifted him up, cradling him in her arms.

I nodded, walking with her to the door. She stopped again, halfway out to look at me and smile. "Thank you."

I gave her a small smile, saying, "It's fine."

She moved down the street, Benjamin in her arms with his head on her shoulder. He opened his eyes, a smile on his face as he waved at me.

I should probably expect to see him later.

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**A/N: Yeah, it's short but it was kind of cute right? Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this story and I'm sorry it's taking me a while to update. Thanks for being patient and thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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The next day, Benjamin was back again at exactly the same time. I had been up this time, knowing that he'd back again as soon as Mrs. Sandspots fell asleep. I stood aside so that he could come in, already talking, loudly and fast.

"Last night mommy was talking about maybe inviting you over for dinner sometime to thank you for watching me," he was saying. "She said it was nice to have a wizard in the neighborhood and you probably needed some company. So don't be surprised if you get a dinner invitation. But I think you should ask first."

"Why is that?" I asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Well, isn't the guy supposed to ask the girl out on a date, anyway?" he said.

I smiled, sitting down in my armchair. "Yes, sometimes . . . mostly when they know each other better."

"Then why is mommy –?"

"Your mom isn't asking me on a date. All three of us will be there so it isn't a date."

Benjamin frowned. "You grownups are confusing. . . ."

"When you're older, you'll understand."

"I don't think I'll ever understand grownups. . . . I'll be in school in a month, you know. First grade. I'm going to ask this girl at school if she wants to go on a date with me."

"Really. Where will you take her?"

"I don't know. . . . I'll probably take her to lunch and then we'll go to recess together. If the teacher shows a movie, maybe we'll sit together. . . . Maybe I'll ask her to marry me when class is over."

I couldn't help the smile that came to my face. "The first date is a little early to ask her to marry you."

"Oh. . . . Do you hold hands on the first date?"

"Only if she lets you."

"Ok." Benjamin fell silent again, smiling at me. "I'm glad you moved here Mr. Malcolm."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. . . . I never get to talk to mommy about these things. It's just . . . weird to talk to a girl about dating a girl, you know. So I'm glad you moved here and I'm glad you let me stay at your house."

I smiled at the little boy, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "I'm glad I moved here to."

Surprisingly, I actually meant it.

"Can you so me some magic?" Benjamin asked suddenly. "Mommy doesn't use magic often because she doesn't want the neighbors to see but when she does use magic it's . . . it's – magical! Mommy says I've done magic before but it was when I was little. She says I still do it sometimes but I never notice if I do because I don't pay attention to it. I get my first wand when I'm eleven, right? Oh, that'll be great! I'm so excited even though I've got . . . five years left. See, I know how to do math and stuff. Do you do math at magic school? Mommy said her school didn't but it might be different at other schools. Which school did you go to? I bet you went to Hogwarts. Mommy says that's the best school and she wished she went there. When I go there, I'm going to be the best student and I'm going to have the best wand. Maybe I'll be on the Quidditch team. Were you on the Quidditch team? I want to be a keeper . . . or maybe a chaser or a seeker or a beater. That would be fun. So, anyway, can you show me some magic?"

This was going to be a long day.

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Around three, there was a knock on my door. Samantha stood there, looking nervous this time, but a small smile still came to her face. "Just thought I'd check," she said.

I opened the door wider for her, letting her pass through. She looked around my house on her way to the kitchen. "I love what you've done to the place."

"You know . . . just a little magic touch."

She turned her smile widening. "Yeah . . . Benjamin told me about that . . . you –?"

"Hogwarts," I replied.

"Oh, alright. See, I went to Beaxubatons. Parents were a bit insane when they sent me there."

"It's fine. My parents tried to send me to Durmstrang."

Samantha laughed, a tinkling little sound. "You know, it's good to see that you're a lot more talkative than I originally thought you were."

"Yes well . . . thank your son, I suppose."

"He really likes coming over here. He wouldn't stop talking about you last night. . . . You – you wouldn't mind if he . . .?"

She trailed off but I knew what she was trying to ask. Did I really want Benjamin over her for almost six hours everyday? He was so very . . . talkative and energetic. . . .

"No, I wouldn't mind," I found myself saying, shocked, to say the least.

Samantha grinned. "Thank you."

"Mommy, mommy!" We turned as Benjamin came running out of the kitchen, jam on the corner of his mouth from his sandwich. "Mommy do you mean it? Do I get to come here everyday?"

"Mr. Malcolm said it was alright."

"Yes!" Benjamin screamed, jumping into the air. "We're going to have so much fun, Mr. Malcolm. Mommy, we have so much fun! I love it over here! It's so much more fun than at Mrs. Sandspots' place. Oh, thank you mommy, thank you!"

"All right, Benny. Go get your things."

The little boy ran off back into the kitchen. Samantha looked up at me, smiling still. "Thanks again, Mr. Malcolm."

"Drake," I replied.

She seemed truly surprised to now be on a first name basis with me but her smile didn't falter. "Drake then."

Benjamin came running back out. "By Mr. Malcolm. I'll see you in the morning! Come on mommy, I've got so much to tell you!"

"We'll see you tomorrow then . . . Drake," Samantha said, somewhat hesitantly.

"Bye Benjamin . . . Samantha," I said.

She waved slightly before closing the door behind her. The silence it left behind was kind of grating. I went into my kitchen, grabbing a cookie from the tray.

Tomorrow would be here soon enough.

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**A/N: Whoa, Benjamin's little spill gave me like two hundred words alone! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Sorry if Draco's just a bit OOC, but i figure, you know, new environment, new people, new sort of outlook on life for him. INnyhoo, stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Tears for me, I don't own Harry Potter.**

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The next day did arrive very quickly, bringing with it Samantha and Benjamin on my doorstep, Benjamin holding a pack of Exploding Snap in his hands.

"Thank you again for this Drake, I really do appreciate it," Samantha said as Benjamin ran into my house.

"It's no problem really," I said.

"Um . . . I was sort of wondering –" Samantha bit her lip, nervously twisting a curl around her finger. It was a surprise to see her with her hair down for once, curled into loose ringlets around her face. But then it was also a surprise to see her dressed . . . normally, I suppose. She wore jeans with white trainers and tight fitting green blouse. She looked . . . nice. "Well . . . would you maybe like to come over for dinner, tomorrow? It'll be my way of thanking you for taking care of Ben these last couple of days."

"You really don't have to," I said, feeling flustered even though Benjamin had warned me about this yesterday.

"It's really no trouble," she said, smiling. "I love to cook and it's really the only way I could think to thank you. That's only if you want to."

I considered saying no, only because I wasn't sure what I would do or say at this 'dinner'. But, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Benjamin watching and waiting for my answer. Sighing inwardly, I said, "Okay. What – what time should I be over?"

"Is six-thirty alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Well . . . I suppose I will see you after work then. Bye Benny."

Benjamin came running back out to give his mother a quick hug before grabbing my wrist and pulling me back in the house, saying, "Come on, Mr. Malcolm! I brought my Exploding Snap cards."

"See you," I said to Samantha.

She grinned at me before walking away.

* * *

An hour or so later found Benjamin and I in the kitchen with him on the counter and me fixing the ends of his brown hair (must have gotten that from his father) where the cards had singed it. He stared at me with the same eyes as his mother a small smile on his face.

"You don't have to fix my hair, you know," the little boy said. "Mommy was going to cut it any way."

"I'm not about to get in trouble with your mom because you decided to put your face to close to the cards. You could have gotten your nose blown off."

Benjamin's smile widened. "I like it when they explode."

"Yes, well . . . next time try to stay back a little, okay?"

"'Kay. . . . You know what I think, Mr. Malcolm?"

"What's that?"

"I think my mommy likes you."

I lowered my wand, staring at the little boy. The kid definitely talked too much but I was kind of . . . intrigued, to say the least. "What makes you say that?"

"Because mommy never usually puts her hair down unless she goes on a date and usually you have to like someone to go on a date, don't you? Plus, I heard her on the phone with one of her friends at work telling her you were a – what's the word? – Oh, right, a stud muffin, whatever that is."

An amused smirk came to my face. A stud muffin? "Well . . . that's nice to know, I suppose."

Benjamin nodded enthusiastically. I lifted my wand again, continuing to fix his hair. He was quiet for a minute, still smiling at me. "So, if I'm not there for dinner tomorrow . . . it'll be a date for you and mommy won't it?"

I sighed, setting down my wand again. I could tell what this kid was up to, alright. He didn't have a dad and here I was, available and young enough to be with his mom. How did you explain that you weren't looking for marriage or relationship at this point in time?

"I suppose it would be," I told him, slowly. "But I'm sure your mom would like for you to be there also."

"Right," Benjamin said, but that smile was still on his face.

Frowning, I said, "What are you up to?"

He feigned a look of perfect innocence. "Nothing! Honest!"

Still frowning, I went back to fixing his hair.

"I like watching you do magic," he said to clear the silence. "You're really good."

"Thanks," I said.

"I hope to be as good as you when I'm grown up," he said, smiling again. "And as good as mommy. And maybe even as good as daddy."

His smile faded slightly, something that did not escape my attention. This was the first time he had ever brought up his father. Him being so young, I wouldn't have ever assumed that he had known the man in the first place. But there was a certain sadness in his eyes, now, at the thought of his father and, for some reason, I didn't like that look.

"All finished," I said, leaning back slightly. I ruffled his hair. "How about you and I go out in the backyard and you can get a go on my broom?"

Benjamin looked up at me with wide eyes. "Really? Mommy never lets me do that! She has a toy broom for me but she won't let me ride it just in case the neighbors see. What if the neighbors see?"

"I know a few tricks that'll make it look as if you're just acting like normal," I told him, smirking. "You up for it?"

The little boy nodded excited as he raised his arms. I picked him up from the counter and lowered him to the ground, letting him follow me towards the backyard. He grabbed my hand, though, and I looked down at him.

"You're the best, Mr. Malcolm," he said, grinning.

I smiled. "Same to you, Ben."

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**A/N: I'm all choked up on happy tears, lol. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed that. I was wondering, if any of you have any ideas on how Samantha should find out about Malfoy being Malfoy, let me know, cause I got an idea on how she'll react but I don't know how to bring it out there. Thanks again for reading******


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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It wasn't until after Samantha had picked up Ben on Friday and told me that she'd see me later, that I remembered that I was supposed to be at her house for dinner that night. Maybe, because I was so nervous, I had simply pushed the whole thing from my mind. 

Or I could have just forgotten.

After shutting my door, I rushed up the stairs to my room. So what if I had three hours till I was supposed to be over at Samantha's. I still had find something to wear and freshen myself up.

Ben and I had gone flying again and I was proud to admit that he was actually pretty good, even if the broom was two sizes bigger than him and he was flying only two feet or more off the ground. He'll probably be on his Quidditch team at Hogwarts.

Moreover, though, we had fun in my backyard. He'd tried to get away from me so many times that it was almost predictable, but still fun. The neighbors of course, peeked over the fence, claiming that they only want to say hi, but we knew what they wanted. Luckily for us, it appeared as if Ben were learning how to ride a two-wheeler bicycle whenever they looked.

I pulled something from my closet and threw it on my bed, heading for my bathroom for a shower.

Shouldn't take me to long right?

* * *

It was a half hour before I was supposed to be at Samantha's house and I was still frantically trying to find something to wear. Turns out the thing I had thrown onto my bed were my good robes. There was no way I could walk out of here in robes.

So, here I was, running around with my towel wrapped around my waist, trying to find something proper to wear when I stopped.

Merlin I was acting like a teenager going on his first date.

This wasn't a date.

Calmly, I picked up my wand and waved it over my body, quickly dressing myself in a pair of nice slacks, dress shoes, and a white button-down shirt with a tie, my hair sleeking itself back slightly.

Looking into the mirror, I mentally chastised myself for being so . . . stupid.

This wasn't a date.

Tucking my wand into my pocket, I locked up my house and headed for Samantha's. Neighbors peeked out the window (Mostly old Mrs. Sandspot), wondering where on earth could I possibly be going. So much for keeping neighbors out of my business, which is what I was hoping for when I moved into this neighborhood.

But then again, I hadn't been planning on going on a date with one of my neighbors either.

Knocking on Samantha's door, I realized I hadn't brought anything with me. Was I supposed to? Flowers or some kind of dish or something?

No, Malfoy.

This isn't a date.

The door opened and Samantha appeared in front of me, smiling widely. "Right on time," she said. "Come on in."

Looking over Samantha, I'm glad I decided not to dress too fancy. She was dressed almost as she did when she went to work, except the black slacks had changed to a flowing, knee-length skirt and the white blouse had changed to a form fitting green blouse.

Okay so maybe not like work. She looked nice, very nice.

"Go ahead and have a seat in the living room," Samantha said as she moved gracefully towards the kitchen. "Dinner will be done in a few."

I did as she said, sinking down into a comfy leather couch. Business at the bakery must have been good. Looking around I saw all the comforts of a normal Muggle home, like that box with the moving pictures, a telephone, and a lot of things plugged in with electricity. I suppose she got company a lot.

I looked towards the dining room area, surprised to see how fancy the table looked. That's when I realized that it was only set up for two.

"Uh," I said. "So, er, where's Ben?"

Samantha stuck her head out the kitchen, looking confused. "He didn't tell you?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Tell me what?"

"He said he wanted to go to a rugby game with his friend tonight. They came and got him a couple of hours ago."

"Oh alright now," I said, swallowing.

Great.

Now it was a date.

* * *

Surprisingly, though, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be without Ben there.

In fact, it was actually very fun.

I don't know how on earth Samantha and I found anything to talk about, but it's surprising how good food will help you loosen up so much.

"Oh, I definitely know what you're talking about," Samantha said, grinning. "My parents were incredibly obsessed with the whole Death Eater thing. It was all they ever talked about with me and about how they wanted me to be one or a Death Eater's wife. They were so set on that. But that's not what I wanted to do."

"What was it you wanted to do?" I asked, smiling.

"Truthfully, I wanted to go to Hogwarts, become a Healer. But I don't mind the way my life's been going so far."

"Why'd you come out here?"

"Well, I met Benjamin's dad and we sort of, ran away together. After we broke up I moved here. It was quiet and I liked it; Ben loved his school, so we stayed. . . . How about you? Raised by purebloods and everything, one-of-a-kind Slytherin . . . though you don't seem like one to me."

"Not a Slytherin?" I frowned slightly. "Why do you say that?"

"Not to offend you, that's for sure." Samantha smiled, a slight blush to her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I suppose it's just me stereotyping things. Everything I've ever read about Slytherins pointed to them being, you know, snotty, pureblood, Death Eater kids who were probably going to end up being Death Eaters themselves. . . . And then there was always Lord Voldemort himself. . . . I was always scared to be a Slytherin myself because that would fit me into the stereotype itself. And it's just that . . . you don't seem to fit the stereotype that I have at all. I mean, you're so . . . just different . . . kind and . . . I suppose I go off the fact that my kid adores you. I'm sorry if I offended."

"No it's fine," I told her. "I just wasn't sure what you meant is all."

Surprisingly, I was very pleased to find that I didn't fit the stereotype.

Not that I hadn't fit it before I came out here.

"So how did you end up out here, anyway?" Samantha asked.

"You know . . . made some bad choices, had some bad experiences. Thought I'd run away for a while, take a chance at a new start."

"You can't always run away from your problems."

"You did."

"Touché. . . . Though, I suppose, in a way I kept part of that trouble with me, though I'd never consider Ben a trouble."

"He seems like a nice kid."

"He is and getting nicer as the days go by. He's so . . . smart and energetic, so . . . wonderful. He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

I watched as her eyes glowed, so happy about her son. I don't think I've ever been that happy about something. I thought I was happy when I became a Death Eater but . . . well, that didn't turn out well at all.

"I'm sorry," Samantha said, giggling. "I get very emotional when it comes to my son."

"It's fine. I'm sure if I had a kid, I'd get emotional about them too."

"Yes, well, you'll always have Ben. He talks about you so much you'd think you were his father."

Another blush came to Stephanie's face and she quickly looked away from me, putting some food into her mouth.

I felt my own blush come to my face as I looked down to my food, trying to think of another subject. I knew this was a bad idea from the start. That little . . . monster had this planned from the beginning, I just know it. This was such a horrible idea.

Samantha cleared her throat. "So, did you play Quidditch?"

* * *

. . . . Okay, so maybe not such a bad idea.

I was surprised to find that it was almost midnight by the time I got up to leave Samantha's house. She walked with me to the door, still laughing about something I had told her earlier.

"This was fun," I said, grinning at her.

"Very fun," Samantha said.

I hesitated before saying, "We – we should do this again sometime."

Samantha smiled sincerely. "We should."

"Whenever is fine for me," I told her.

She laughed. "Drake, if you're going to ask me on a date you should just ask."

"Right." I cleared my throat, fighting the blush that was coming to my face again. This was the second time she had made me blush tonight. Malfoys didn't blush; this was insane. "Would you like to, maybe, I don't know, go out somewhere next Friday? My treat?"

"I'd love to. I guess we'll consider it a, er, second date, huh?"

I scratched the back of my neck, laughing. "Yeah, I guess we could. So, I'll see you Monday, then?"

"Yep. See you Monday."

"Alright . . . bye then."

"See you."

I turned and heard the door close behind me.

Sighing I headed back for my house. Good thing I had a couple of days to think. I was going to have to decided whether to compliment Ben on his cunning or strangle him.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. This week was midterm week. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It took me forever to come up with it. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next chapter. By the way, keep in eye out for my new story 'Chasing my Opponent' and my writing challenge fic 'The Little Things that Matter'. Thanks again.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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"So did you and my mommy have fun?" Benjamin asked me on Monday biting into his peanut butter and jam sandwich.

I looked over at him across my own sandwich, a slight smirk playing across my lips. This little boy was a cheeky little thing. "Don't you know how to stay out of adult's business," I said.

"That's what mommy said too," he said grinning. "But it's not like I don't understand the facts of dating."

"The what?"

"You know, Mr. Malcolm! The . . . thing that dating is all about!"

"Oh you do then?" I set down my sandwich and smiled at the little boy. "Alright, Mr. Benjamin, what are the complicities of dating?"

"Well, you see, Mr. Malcolm, when a guy loves a girl and they have feelings for each other –"

"Right, so I don't think we're talking about the same kind of dating, Ben."

"Well what other kind of dating is there?"

"The kind you don't need to know about until you're a lot older."

"But my friend, DJ – he told me that babies don't actually come from a stork. Is that the kind of dating you're talking about? He told me that babies come from the –"

"Alright so who's up for another broom lesson?"

* * *

The little boy watched me closely as he rode around on the broom by himself for the first. He had been very excited at first, but now . . . he was quiet, watching me.

Sighing, I realized there was no way to escape a conversation with him about his mom. "What's on you're mind, Ben?"

"Well . . . I was just wondering . . ." Ben paused as he continued to swoop around in circles on the broom. "Do you like my mum?"

"She's nice."

"No, Mr. Malcolm, I mean do you, you know, _like_ like my mom."

"Well it's a little earlier to tell, don't you think? I've only been on one date with her."

"So does that mean you'll be dating her again soon?"

"There you ago again, Ben, all in adult's business."

"You just have to understand, Mr. Malcolm! Mommy and I've been together by our selves a long time now and I take care of her. She calls me the man of the house. So that's why . . . I'm just checking."

A small smile came to my face. I had a completely, new founded respect for the little boy when he said that. He thought himself his mom's protector, her 'surrogate father' so to speak. It was cute, to say the least, but it also showed that Samantha raised her son well, to be a kind and respectful young man . . . well, in a way.

"Well, if you must know Mr. Benjamin," I said, "I am supposed to be escorting your mother out again this Friday."

"And to where may you be taking her?"

"Where do you think I should take her?"

"Well, my mother loves Italian food."

"Great, I'll consider it."

Ben smiled as he continued to fly around in circles. "I really do thank you for being so kind to my mom, Mr. Malcolm. It hasn't been easy for her to make new 'guy' friends because of me."

"I'm sure she doesn't consider it because of you."

"Oh I know. But Mr. Malcolm?"

"Yes, Ben."

"If you hurt my mommy, when I learn all those hexes and jinxes and stuff when I get my wand, you'll be sorry."

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly. This kid was tougher than he looked. "You have my word, Ben."

The little boy smiled again, and the conversation didn't resume.

* * *

That Friday, I was, once again, horribly nervous but, then again, I felt a lot better than I had last week when that had been a surprise date. . . . And so, with a bouquet of flowers in my hand and checking to make sure my hair looked right in my reflection of the window, I knocked on the door to Samantha's house.

Merlin this was dumb. . . . I was acting like a schoolboy going on his first date again. 

But I could not shake the feeling, especially when Samantha opened the door, a huge grin on her face.

She was gorgeous. More so, I believe but I couldn't find the word even if I tried. . . . The lacy back dress she wore stopped just above her knees and clung to delicious curves, the straps just falling off her lovely shoulders and the swooping neckline showing off her beautiful, graceful neck. Wisps of her hair fell from her eloquent bun, brushing against her neck as moved.

I vaguely heard her say how lovely the flowers were as I handed them to her. Benjamin sat in the background with his babysitter, sending me a thumbs-up and a wink. Samantha finished putting the flowers in a bouquet, wrapped a shawl around her shoulders, and, smiling, I offered my arm to her. She took it, saying something to babysitter before we headed out the door. 

"So, where are you taking me to tonight?" Samantha asked as we walked around the corner away from our block so we could Apparate. 

"Someplace I'm sure you'll enjoy," I told her, finally able to get my tongue unstuck from the roof of my mouth.

"Someplace my son told you I'll enjoy?" she said as she turned to face me.

"Of course," I said smirking. It was weird, though I tried to be smooth with it, as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me. She seemed to fit almost perfectly in my arms, against me. I could feel my face and my neck get hot as I looked into her eyes . . . her gorgeous brown eyes. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she blushed, putting her arms across my shoulders.

Looking quickly, I Apparated.

* * *

**A/N: So, of course, the next chapter will be their date. I'm sorry it took me ever so long to update. I've just been so busy what with school and trying to get my schedule ready so I can pick classes this week. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed and I will see you next chapter. **


	7. Chapter 7

**

* * *

**

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

I was beyond nervous, I realized as I pulled out a chair for Samantha and watching as she gracefully sat down and I helped her scoot up to the table. But if she could tell that I was acting differently, she didn't say. She just smiled at me as I sat down across from her.

And then we began to talk . . . and talk . . . and talk. The only time we stopped was when we ordered our food.

"I've always loved Quidditch," Samantha told me, as the waiter set her plate down in front of her. "I used to sneak away to play with a couple of Muggleborn friends I had made, because, according to my mother and father, it was inappropriate for a pureblood witch to play Quidditch."

"I guess Ben gets it from you than," I said, smiling.

"Probably. He told me that you've been teaching him how to fly. He'll make the Quidditch team no problem when he gets to Hogwarts."

"What house do you think he'll be in?"

"Gryffindor I'm hoping but the kid's so smart he'll probably end up in Ravenclaw or something. But it really doesn't matter to me."

"It doesn't. What if he ends up in Slytherin?"

"It wouldn't matter, I suppose, because my Benny wouldn't turn into the typical Slytherin, I don't believe."

"You mean, you wouldn't let him."

Samantha smiled. "No, I wouldn't. But times are changing you know since Voldemort's gone . . . for all we know Slytherin's probably different now. And plus, Ben's been around Muggles too much to just start hating them. Maybe he'll be the changing point of Slytherin when he goes."

"That would certainly be a change." I took a sip of my wine, smiling over at her. But my smile slipped when she asked a most unexpected question.

"Did you know Draco Malfoy?"

I almost choked on my wine. Coughing and spluttering, I said, "What?"

"Draco Malfoy. I was just wondering because you were in Slytherin and you seem to be the same age."

"We – uh – I saw him around, yeah, but we – we didn't really talk," I sputtered out. "Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason. I just heard a lot about him and his family. Supposedly, we were in an arranged marriage."

"Really?" Well, this was news to me. "I thought he was supposed to marry that, er, Parkinson girl."

"Yeah, I thought so too. But it was me. It was supposed to be such an honor, you know? Well, for me, it was one of the reasons I ran away. Arranged marriages were always stupid to me and plus, I don't think I could marry anyone like that."

"Like what?"

"Well, I heard he was a git. Plus, I heard that, he broke a whole lot of Death Eaters into Hogwarts and had Albus Dumbledore killed. Were you there?"

My face blanched. "Y-yeah I was there."

Samantha reached across the table to put her hand on mine. "Are you alright?"

"It's just . . . it's hard to talk about." For a moment, one horribly sickening moment, I was very aware of the Dark Mark on my arm.

But then Sam smiled at me, wrapping her fingers around my hand. "I'm sorry. We can talk about something else. I didn't think about how it could have affected you."

"It's alright . . . er, so, um, what's your favorite Quidditch team?"

Glad for a change of topic, also, she started off again and I just listened to her. I had considered telling her, who I was and why I was out here, but she sounded as if she had hated me even before she had known me. . . . If she ever found out, she'd probably kill me. . . . Maybe I could tell her when she's gotten to know me better . . . maybe then, she won't hate me as much. . . . But then won't she be mad at me for lying?

What was a guy to do?

* * *

"I had a really great time tonight, Derek," Samantha said, holding onto my arm as we walked around the corner towards her house.

Unfortunately, our date had to come to an end, seeing as how it was nearly midnight and the babysitter would want to go home. Ben was probably worrying about his mom (I had made promises after all).

"Yeah, I had a good time too," I told her and I meant. Once I got past the fact that she hated Draco Malfoy, I was able to pay attention to her. I don't know what it is about Sam but I always have the best time with her. It was like, for a while, I could forget the past that I had or my life at the present moment and just think about her.

I wondered what life would have been like if we were to get married . . . if she hadn't known my name or anything about it . . . would things be like they were now?

We stopped in front of her house and she turned to face me, a smile on her face. "Well. . . ." she said.

"We should . . . we should do this again," I said, smiling back.

"We should."

"I, er – there's a Quidditch game next weekend, England versus Scotland. Would you and Ben maybe like to go?"

"We'd love to, Drake."

"Great."

We looked at each other for a moment before Sam looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks. Still feeling like a teenager, I let my own blush creep up the back of my neck. Looking around, I checked the windows, wondering if any of our nosy neighbors were picking out the window (or if Ben was). I wondered if she would mind. . . .

Deciding to take a chance, I lightly placed my fingers on her cheek to turn her face back towards me. Her eyes opened wide an anticipation as I leaned forward and softly put my lips against hers . . . which were soft . . . and delicate . . . and sweet.

It was, it had to be, the best kiss I've ever gotten.

When I moved away from her, I saw her eyes were still closed and her lips slightly parted. I chuckled lightly and she opened her eyes. An embarrassed smile came to her face as she laughed nervously. "Well, er, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Samantha."

She stumbled as she reached behind her for the doorknob, which was unlocked (Ben had been watching, little monster). Still laughing nervously, she gave me a small wave before turning and disappearing into her house.

Smiling, I turned and headed towards my house. I even started to whistle a bit.

Merlin, could it be that I am . . . happy?

* * *

**A/N: So I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I hope you guys enjoyed though. Stay tuned.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Discliamer: Not mine at all.**

* * *

Ben bounced up and down excitedly, never keeping still (or quiet) for a second. I don't think I've ever seen a kid get so excited for a Quidditch game. It was endearing, actually. And then again, it was his first game so I wouldn't expect him to act any other way.

"Gosh look at them go!!" he cried out, scooting closer to the rail and leaning forward. "I've never seen anyone fly so fast!! What team are we going for, Mr. Malcom? It doesn't matter, I guess. I like the red team! Mommy, can I have a broom like his? It's a . . . a Lighting Bolt!! That's probably the best broom ever!! When I get to Hogwarts can I get a broom like that? I'll be the bestest player on my house team! HE SCORED A GOAL!! That was _awesome!_ Mom, Mr. Malcolm, did you see that?! That was _amazing!_ I _have_ to learn that move! Will you teach me, Mr. Malcolm? This is incredible!!"

"Ben, come sit down before you fall," Sam said, laughing and gently pulling the boy back.

"What an adorable child," a woman next to me said. "First Quidditch game?"

I smiled. "How could you tell?"

Ben hopped across the bench to me. "This is great, Mr. Malcolm! Thanks again for bringing us!"

He hopped down, running back to the rail.

"He'll never stop talking about this, you know?" Samantha said, leaning towards me with a smile. "You've officially became a hero for him, if you weren't already."

The little boy looked back at me with the hugest smile on his face.

A hero.

I don't think I've ever been anyone's hero before. A warm feeling spread through me as my own smile spread on my face. "Anything for him, you know," I said.

"And that's what makes you absolutely wonderful," she said, pressing a kiss against my cheek quickly.

"Oh, WOW!!" Ben said, throwing his hand up over his head. "THAT WAS AMAZING!!"

* * *

I carried Ben on my back as we Apparated back to Samantha's house.

He had fallen asleep in a state of complete euphoria after I had managed to get him to meet the owner of the Lighting Bolt, which just happened to be Theodore Nott. He had snickered and laughed when I told him about my fake name, but was actually a good sport when he met Sam and Ben. He even took Ben up on his broom, though they didn't perform any flips or miraculous stunts in order not to scare Sam, who look positively frightened at seeing him up so high.

"He's fine," I reassured her, wrapping my arm around her waist.

"You're not just saying that so you can get closer to me are you?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"Of course not. I mean, it's one of the perks, but Theo's a good flyer. Ben's perfectly safe with him."

"I'd feel better if it were you up there. I know Ben's safe with you."

We went out for a quick dinner at a nearby wizarding restaurant, where Ben recalled the entire game practically play by play and his ride on the Lighting Bolt all the while stuffing food into his mouth as if he were starving.

Now he lay with his head lolling on my shoulder and his arms around my neck while my arms were wrapped around his legs. Surprisngly, for a six-year-old, he was very light.

Sam opened the front door and I took Ben back to his bedroom, pushing his hair out of his face and then closing the door behind me as Sam changed his clothes.

It didn't take her long and she came back out soon, a grin on her face. "He'll be out for the rest of the night, which is probably a good thing because I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, well, it's been a pretty long day," I said, smiling back.

"Thank you," she said.

"Anytime. I mean, if you and Ben ever want to go to another Quidditch game –"

"I'm not just talking about the Quidditch game, Drake. I mean for everything. You've been so wonderful to Ben and to me. . . . I really can't think of a way to thank you. And I really don't I've ever met a guy like you."

A light blush came to my face. "It was nothing, really."

"It was a lot, Drake." I felt her hand on my cheek before she kissed me.

This kiss lasted a lot longer than our first, long enough for me to wrap my arms around her waist. I was starting to really like kissing Sam.

She leaned back from me, a blush on her face. "I hope that wasn't too forward of me."

"Not at all," I said, grinning.

"Good, because I think I want to kiss you again."

"Go for it."

As she kissed me, I told myself I would have to tell her the truth soon, because, in all actuality, I believed I was starting to fall for her. If I told her now, maybe she would be able to forgive me for lying this whole time. It was still me who she was 'dating', even if my name was different.

I just had to figure out how and when I would tell her.

* * *

**A/N: So I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter!!**


	9. Author's Note

Dear Readers,

This is me talking, me being real, alright?

I know I mess up sometimes and I won't spell words right or I'll mess up grammar. . . .

My freaking bad.

But what I don't need is for readers (who I will not mention) or whoever the heck they are to leave a review on how horrible a writer I am or whatever.

First off: I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!! I am not writing this note because you 'hurt my feelings' or sent me into a 'suicidal rage', Flame Rising. I am writing this to all my readers or new readers or people simply stumbling upon one of my stories to let you know that if you don't like it, press the little back space button. Why leave a review if all you're going to do is criticize and belittle me just because it's 'in the guidelines to be able to write your opinion'.

Second: This does not mean that I don't love getting reviews and that I don't care what the nice people think. I do. I am not a 'review whore' and I don't tend to ask for them. They make me happy to see them and I love to respond to people who've reviewed. So if you're one of my lovely, kind reviewers, by all means, go on.

Third: I do not mind constructive criticism. I love it and I will respond positively to your reviews. But I do mind blatant rudeness and I will not hesitate to respond and tell you just how I feel.

This note is in response to all those who feel it is necessary to torment writers. If you feel the need to write rude things in people's boxes just because you don't have the guts to write a story because you're scared what people will say about your crap stories, by all means go ahead. If this means I lose readers, at least I know I can still depend on the true people like allhugs13, Celebrytie Aris Channas, M.E.Potter, and the fifty or so other people who have me on their alert or favorite list, just to name a few.

I truly do thank my readers who have been kind and supportive since I've join people. You guys are great. And if any of you are writers, like I know so many of you are, please, I implore you not to let reviewers the ones mentioned above. You are a great writer if you put you're mind to it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I'm not one, though, to sit back and let someone blatantly disrespect me and I hope you are either.

Thank you,

Nea aka Suni-Dlight.

"Make it a Sunny Day!!"


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever.**

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So, four months later and I had yet to tell Samantha about my true identity. We talked about everything but my past and so I never actually had a chance. But at the same time, I avoided my past like the plague, never going into much detail with her.

By now we were quite deeply involved. Ben would often refer to me as his 'mommy's boyfriend'. Not that we were together every single moment of the day, but I would visit her (with Ben) at her job and we'd stay up late talking all night sometimes at either of our houses (Ben sleeping on the floor).

It all came down to Ben, I suppose, the one who first pushed us together (in a way). But I really did care about the kid. He was smart and funny, the best kid a guy (who wasn't looking for kids) could ask for. I missed our days together since he had started back at school but I still saw him (and Sam) right after school. I helped him with his homework . . . or rather, Sam helped and I watched because Muggle homework was fairly new to me.

"I'm a big first grader now!" Ben had declared happily on his first day of school. And even though he was so excited about being a first grader, he complained viciously about the amount of homework.

"Just wait till you get to Hogwarts," I had told him, one night.

Some might have considered it weird, how I became so attached to Ben, a child from my 'girlfriend's' past relationship, but it was hard not to like the kid. And, as Samantha had told me once before, it was easy to see he liked me as well, which was a nice feeling.

I never thought about having kids. It never even crossed my mind. I knew I'd have to eventually carry on Malfoy name somehow, but . . . the thought of getting married, having kids was a – unheard of concept to me. Maybe it frightened me and that's why I avoided talks with my mother and father about it . . . but being with Sam and Ben had shown me something.

Not that I was going to drop to one knee and propose to Sam this instant, but if I had to make the choice of my future wife and son, Sam and Ben would definitely be first pick.

I still found it funny though, that Sam would have been my wife anyway, if she hadn't ran away. We might not have had Ben, but we would have had a . . . some sort of family together.

Fate worked in mysterious ways sometimes.

* * *

The rainy season hit hard somewhere in mid-November, shaking houses, windows, and front doors, knocking down trees and electric poles, and bringing with it lightening and thunder.

My house, unfortunately, was ran by electricity. When I moved in, I had almost changed that too but, after some very thorough thought, I decided not to try and mix electricity and magic.

Thus, when the lightening and thunder flashed and roared high above, I found myself sitting in the darkness of my living room. Sighing, I pulled my wand from my pocket, casting '_Lumos_', before I moved over to one of the lamps, looking down at the electrical socket. Looking out my window, I saw that all my neighbors lights were out. If mine were to 'magically' come back on, that might appear a little odd, so I left it alone.

There was a knock on the door and I ran to opened it, finding an almost soaked-through Sam and Ben. Ben grinned up at me. "I – er I mean, Mommy was frightened by the lightening and I thought it would be could to check and make sure you weren't scared too."

"My hero," I said, smiling and looking up at Sam.

She smiled back, holding up a plastic bag. "We've brought S'more stuff."

"Er – s'mores?" I asked.

The two looked at each other. "You've never had S'mores?" Ben asked.

"Never."

"We'll just have to teach you then," Sam said grinning. "Got a fireplace and some old hangers?"

Stepping back, I held open the door and they rushed inside.

* * *

Moments later found us lying on a blanket in front of my fireplace, Sam dressed in some of my old pajama pants and a t-shirt while Ben lay between us in one of my longer t-shirts, their clothes hung up to dry.

They showed me the artwork of s'mores and I ended up eating a least five before I could eat no more. Never before would I have thought something so simple could taste so good.

"Told you you'd like it," Ben said, grinning through a chocolate covered mouth.

"You're a mess," I told him, laughing.

Samantha licked dripping chocolate from her fingers. "As always. Let me just fumble my way to the kitchen and get some napkins. Be back in a jiff."

There was a crash and a muttered cry. "I'm alright," Sam said.

"This is nice," Ben said, when his mum was gone.

"It is," I told him. "I'm glad you came to check up on me."

Ben grinned, rolling over onto his back. "Just between you and me, I just said that so mommy wouldn't know I was scared. Do you think she noticed?"

"Not at all."

"Well, it'll be our secret, right?"

"Of course."

Ben twiddled his fingers. "So . . . are you like my dad now?"

"Er –" I hadn't expected that question. "Your, er, mum and I would have to get married first before I actually became you're dad."

"Are you sure? Because, you act like how all my friends' daddies act towards them. It would just make sense if you were my daddy now. . . . Well are you and mommy going to get married?"

"Uh . . . not any time soon, Ben."

"_Will_ you get married?"

It was at this moment that Sam walked back in the room, napkins in her hands. It was obvious from the look on her face that she had heard Ben's final question. I looked up at her and said, "I'd have to ask your mum, don't you think?"

"Well, you should ask her. I'm sure she'll say yes."

I smiled at Sam who smiled back at me moving forward to sit back down on the blanket. "Are you boys having fun?" she asked.

"Just guy talk," Ben said, before turning back onto his stomach and reaching for the s'mores bag.

Behind Ben's back, Sam reached across to take my hand, squeezing it a bit. I moved back to lean against the sofa, pulling Sam with me. She rested my head on her shoulder as she told Ben to be careful around the fire.

I suppose this is what could be considered a family night. I wouldn't know – I've never had one.

But if this is what they were like, I wouldn't mind a couple more of them.

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**A/N: Cute right? I hope you guys enjoyed. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Not mine at all.**

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I awoke the next morning, still leaning back against the couch with Samantha's head on my shoulder and my arm around her waist. Ben was conked out on the blanket, a half eaten S'more in his hand.

Samantha shifted against me, looking up at me with sleepy eyes as she smiled. "Morning."

"Morning."

We both looked down towards Ben who snorted softly and rolled over, the s'more ending up in his hair.

Samantha giggled softly. "What a mess."

I gazed at Ben a while longer before asking, "What is like having a kid?"

She sighed, sitting up slightly. "I knew I was going to keep him when I was pregnant. His father wanted to get rid of him of course, but. . . . It's an experience. You have your good times and bad, as you do in any sort of relationship, but the love – it's unconditional. If I had the chance to go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing. People usually think it's impossible to love someone so much but it's not. Ben is my all and he's the only one who kept me going after me and his dad broke it off. Just looking at him makes me smile and the thought of him swells my heart. It's amazing having a kid, Drake, it really is."

For a moment as I looked down at Ben I could sort of understand what she was talking about. A slight grin came to my face. "How 'bout I fix us some breakfast?"

"Sounds good," Sam said, smiling. "I'll clean the chocolate from Ben's hair."

Pressing a kiss to my cheek she moved forward and picked up the young boy, carrying him to the bathroom. I moved to the kitchen, a smile still on my face.

* * *

"This was really good, Drake."

"I had a good teacher."

Sam grinned as I took her and Ben's plates, moving to the sink to wash dishes. She and Ben had changed back into their dry clothes, planning on showering and changing when they got home. "What spell did you use on the fridge to keep the food from spoiling without the power? I need to learn that one."

"Just a containment spell," I told her. "Keeps it fresh."

"Brilliant."

"Told you Mr. Malcolm was good at magic," Ben said, sipping on his magic.

"What, she didn't believe you?" I asked, smiling.

"She thinks she can beat you in a duel," Ben replied in a dramatic whisper.

"I only said that I had yet to see you do magic," Sam replied, blushing. "And I wondered if I would ever challenge you to a friendly duel."

"You could always challenge me right now," I said, smirking at her.

"With all our nosy neighbors? I'd rather not risk expulsion just to prove that I'm better with magic."

"That definitely sounded like a challenge." It was funny, because that kind of comment used to make me so mad but now it just made me laugh. With Samantha and Ben though, a lot of things were different from how they used to be.

I was different. After just a moment's hesitation I turned to Sam saying, "There's something I need to talk to you about."

There was a slight tap on the window in the living room. Sam looked towards it and then at Ben saying, "Can you go get that honey?"

"Yes, mom." Ben hopped up, running into the living room. I sat down in his place where Samantha was looking at me inquisitively. "What's going on?"

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, since our first date actually," I started out nervous now.

Samantha placed her hand on top of mine. "You know you can tell me anything, Drake."

I smiled, relaxing now. "I –"

"Who's 'Draco Malfoy'?"

We both looked up as Ben came back into the kitchen, holding a letter in his hands. "What?" Sam and I said at the same time.

"An owl just brought it," Ben said, setting the letter down on the table. "I think it flew right past Ms. Sunspots' window on the way out," he added with a grin.

But Sam and I obviously didn't hear any of that. We were staring down at the letter between us, my name, my _real_ name written in big bold letters. I should have realized that the tapping could only be from an owl. My mother wrote me every week, just to check on me. She knew about Sam, but I didn't tell her my fake name because then I never would have gotten an owl.

Samantha looked up at me, a look of pure anger and hurt in her eyes. "Ben go get your things."

"But –"

"Go get your things now!"

The little boy stormed off, leaving me and Sam in the kitchen but she soon got up to, heading for the living room to gather up the rest of the S'more stuff and her clothe.

"Sam —" I started.

"I can't believe you," she said, not even looking at me. "You've lied to us this whole time."

"I was going to tell you, I swear."

"When, huh?" Sam stood up straight, glaring at me. "After – after you got me to admit that I have true, really deep feelings for you? Who set you up to this? My family?"

"No! No, I just wanted you to be able to trust me!"

"Oh well this was a very good way of doing it! By lying to me for the past four and a half months!"

She had a point. "I'm still the same person, Sam! It's still me even if my name is different!"

Sam stared at me for a moment. "You just don't get it."

Ben came back into the room, looking at the both of us. "What's going on?"

"We're leaving," she said, grabbing her son's hand and heading towards the door.

"Sam can we at least talk about this?"

"You've done enough talking, if you ask me. Or maybe not enough." She stopped at the door, Ben questioning her and me from behind her. "I'll wash and send your sleep clothes back over."

And with that she closed the door in my face.

What had I done?

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**A/N: So what do you think? I believe someone gave me the idea for this, let's see . . . Ah, Mary Potter77 for the idea of his mother and Celebrytie Aris Channas for the idea of the letter. You both are awesome and I thank you kindly. And thanks to everyone else who offered ideas. This story will be updated every Thursday (yay I know I'm late) and Mondays. Thanks for everything.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Not mine at all.**

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I _missed_ them.

I missed them horribly.

It had been a week so far, a week without Samantha and Ben and it had been torture. He went to her house and knocked on the door, tried to catch her when she picked up Ben from school but she always ignored me, managed to elude me.

So I decided to take a chance and I went to her job in the middle of the day.

A lot of people where there I realized, trying to pick up those little snacks they snuck to their lunch. She glanced up at me, as did her customers.

Her eyes narrowed down to a glare as I approached the counter, but she still responded professionally. "How may I help you, sir?"

"Can we just talk, please?" I said quietly.

"I'm sorry but if you're not going to order something, you'll have to leave."

"Come on, Sam, don't be like this. I just want to talk to you."

"My place of business is not for social conversation."

"Sam, just here me out, please!"

"Leave my shop, _sir_, or I will have to call the police. . . . Or the Aurors," she added in an undertone.

"I am not a murder – I am not a bad guy, Samantha!"

She pulled her wand out from under the counter, sweeping it across her shop. Our conversation had not gone without notice, I realized as I looked towards the now "paused" customers, who's eyes were looking over at us warily.

"Interesting," I said, amazed despite the situation. "You'll have to teach me that one."

"Are you insane?" Samantha hissed. "How dare you come in here and start mouthing off your crimes in front of my customers, my _Muggle _customers!"

"I'm not the one bringing up the Aurors!" I said, angrily. "And I don't have any crimes! I messed up when I was a kid and made a couple of bad choices!"

"You had a man killed!"

"I was trying to protect my family! Voldemort was going to kill my family if I didn't do what I was told! I know you of all people know what it means to do anything to keep your family safe."

Sam fell silent still glaring at me. "You know it's not even what you might have done. You're right; I can understand what it means to keep your family safe. I would die for Ben. . . . But you lied to me, Malfoy. You lied to me and my son for almost five months." Her eyes softened and she shook her head sadly. "I had found something in you that I thought didn't exist anymore. You were so wonderful to me and Ben and he _adored_ you. I swear you were the closets thing to a father he ever had and I –"

She trailed off, looking away. I reached forward and gently took her hand in mine. "Why can't it still be the same way? I'm still the same person, even if my name is different. I still care about you and Ben more than anything and I'm sorry I lied. Why can't it stay like it was?"

She looked up at me before taking her hand away from mine. "How can I trust you anymore?"

She picked up her wand again. "If it's any constellation, Ben still talks about you constantly. He misses you."

"And you?" I asked.

Samantha looked down at her counter before sweeping her wand across the shop again and quickly stowing it back under the counter. "You should leave now," she said, not looking me in the eye.

Knowing that this was her way of telling me goodbye, I knocked my hand softly against the counter. "If it's any constellation to you, I think about you always. I miss you both."

I backed away from the counter, ignoring the Muggles who stared at me apprehensively. Most of them, I'm sure, were regulars to Samantha's bakery and her friends and would probably attack me if they saw need to, once they had judged my mental stability.

Turning, I strolled from the shop as quickly as possible.

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**Samantha's POV**

She watched as he left before turning back to her customer by the counter and giving him a forced smile as he asked for her 'delicious chocolate chip fudge brownies'.

Next thing she knew, her good friend, Christina Brown, appeared at the counter, eyeing the man as he walked away with his purchase. "So, mind telling me what all that was about?"

"Yes."

"Was that the guy you've been on about? Last time we talked he was the apple of your eye. What happened?"

Samantha looked towards the door. "He just . . . he wasn't who I thought he was is all."

"Well, did he come here to apologize?"

"In a way."

"And you still let him walk out of here? Goodness, Sammy, the man was _gorgeous_! And at least he apologized you know. Some men are too stupid to even realize they've made a mistake."

"You know how I feel about liars, Chris."

Christina groaned. "Will you let go of him already? Alex broke your heart and left you with a kid. It's done and over. And now you have the best soon in the world who loves you unconditionally and a drop-dead hunk of a man whose barged his way in here to tell you he was sorry. Don't let Alex continue to mess up your life when you have so much more in front of you. You need to wipe him completely from your mind and build up a new life . . . one with someone who obviously cares a lot about you."

Samantha gazed at Christina in awe though tears threatened to spill over. Christina was blunt and told everyone she was, but most of the time she was right for what she said.

This was probably one of those times.

"It's hard," Samantha said.

Christina shook her head. "Only if you make it hard."

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**A/N: So yeah, I'm late but it's been hectic. I'll try to keep up as well as I can but please be patient with me. Thanks a lot.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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I sat in my den, a book in front of me though I wasn't really reading it. It was hard to pay attention to much now a day.

It had been a week and a half since I had gone to Samantha's bakery and she had sent me away with no regrets. I didn't go by her house anymore and I didn't go by the school. Of course, not seeing Sam meant there was no more Ben and my house seemed incredibly too quite. . . .

I wondered often what they were both up to . . . I was sure Sam was making sure Ben got all of his homework done.

But mostly I wondered if Sam missed me. I was pretty sure she didn't because she had said as much at her bakery but . . . a guy could hope, I guess.

My doorbell rang and I got up slowly, reluctantly. I was sure it was Mrs. Sandspot dropping by to tell me to 'mow the lawn' or to 'wash my front porch'. She was always dropping by to tell me what to do.

Merlin a man couldn't get any peace. I pulled open my door, sighing, "I've already done it twice this week, Mrs. Sandspot. If I cut my lawn anymore there won't be any grass left."

"I don't care about your lawn."

I looked up to see Samantha staring at me, a frown on her face and her arms crossed. I was so shocked to actually see her that I couldn't even form a _stupid_ sentence let alone a coherent one. "Er, hi," I finally managed to say.

"You know, if you're going to chase after a girl, it might do you good not to quit when she's about to change her mind," she said, still frowning.

I was about to reply when I realized I had barely understood what she just say. "Er, huh?"

She rolled her eyes before saying, "Well aren't you going to invite me in?"

Still too shocked for words, I stepped back and let her in. She walked past, glancing around the place. I closed the door and said, "Might care to explain to me what's going on?"

Samantha turned to face me. "Might care to explain to me why you lied?"

Sighing, I moved over to the couch, motioning for her to sit with me but she didn't. Sighing again I said, "I wasn't exactly the nicest person in school, even if the Slytherin house loved me. I called people names, looked down on people who were actually better than me in every way possible, and boasted about my name for almost the whole of Hogwarts to hear. It was . . . satisfying to know that people looked up to me and were jealous of me because of who I was. But mostly, it satisfied my father and I _wanted _him to be proud of me. Sure he was somewhat of a bastard but he was still my dad. And so when I had the chance to become a Death Eater and to carry out the biggest mission of all time, I pounced on it. But I realized I would have to actually kill someone and . . . I was scared out of my mind. And then, to make matters worse the bastard blackmailed me with my family's life.

"I didn't kill him though. It was actually going as planned; I had let the Death Eaters into the castle and then kill Professor Dumbledore. He . . . he told me there was a better way, that he'd help me and keep my family safe. I didn't have to be what Voldemort wanted me to become. And then Snape appeared out of nowhere and did it himself. Come to find out though, Dumbledore _told_ Snape to kill him because he was going to die anyway. Dumbledore didn't want me to have to live with death on my shoulders. He even wrote letters for me so that I wouldn't end up in jail after the war was over. It was so strange that this man cared about my wellbeing when I had always hated him . . . well, not intentionally."

I leaned forward, putting my head in my hands. "I moved here because even though my name was cleared, I couldn't escape the people who hated me because of my family and what they _thought _had happened. I lied to you because I didn't want you to hate me either, even if you had just been a Muggle and didn't even know about the name Draco Malfoy. I wanted – I _needed_ a fresh start and you gave it to me, really."

There was silence for a moment before I felt rather than saw Samantha sit down beside me. "I wouldn't have hated you," she said softly.

"You sure?" I asked looking up at her. "It didn't sound like you liked me to much at dinner."

"You'll have to understand that all I heard about my 'future fiancé' was that he was a spoiled, arrogant, Muggle-hating jerk, the Death Eater who brought about the murder of one of the greatest wizards of our time. You'll forgive me if I was just a tad bit turned off by that."

A slight smile came to face as I looked back to my hands. "If I had told you who I was that first day I met you, what would you have done?"

"Probably acted the same way I did a couple of weeks ago. But I wouldn't have hated you . . . I would have been weary, yes, and I probably would have been over the next day to find out what your intentions were in a Muggle neighborhood, my wand in hand, of course. But I don't think I would have hated you because the truth is very important to me." She sighed, brushing her hair back from her face. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you though. It's not like I haven't had my share of lies . . . my – Alexander broke up with me because I didn't tell him I was a witch until after I was pregnant. He promised he would stay and the next morning when I woke up, he was gone. . . . Since then it's been hard for me to really trust anyone, but I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you."

I smiled lightly at her, sitting up straight. "So you don't hate me?"

"I find it unreasonably hard to hate you for some unknown reason," she said, rolling her eyes again. "I find it even harder to just dislike you. And so, if it's harder to dislike you, than it must be torture to hate you. So no, Draco, I don't hate you, not in the slightest."

"That's good to know. . . ." I gazed at her for a moment. "So what do we do now?"

"I suppose we start from the beginning." She held out her hand but before I could take it she snatched it away. "But don't you dare lie to me anymore Draco Malfoy. You know, unless it's something like the 'dear, I didn't actually go to the Quidditch game with the guys, I went to buy you this ring' kind of lie."

I grinned. "It's a deal."

She put her hand out again. "Hello. I'm Samantha Justins. Welcome to the neighborhood."

I shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Draco Malfoy."

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**A/N: So I'm so sad because I've only got one chapter left. I decided to wait and update today so I could get back on track because I'm sure you noticed I was falling behind. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next chapter.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Not mine at all.**

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**Epilogue: Four and a Half years later**

Things were shaky of course, as they usually are when you're rebuilding a relationship but they worked out.

Ben was more than happy to see me again after that two week break away. He invited me to his birthday party and we started in again from there as if nothing had happened. He really was a great kid.

And still was actually.

An owl tapped on the back window and I got the letter, smiling as I opened it. "Letter from Ben," I called out to Sam.

"How is everything?" she asked.

"He says it's great though he still wishes that his House animal could be something other than an eagle but at least it isn't a bald eagle."

"Well, there is that. We'll have to tell him that the eagle is a proud and noble creature. Anything else?"

"He's the new Chaser for his Quidditch team."

"That's wonderful! I'm sure he'll be captain soon the way you teach."

"He also says . . . oh, that parts just for me, I suppose."

"About a girl?"

"About a girl."

"I swear if he had it his way he'd keep me away from his love life until he gets married."

"He always says that he's doing well in his classes and to say hi to you and Leah."

"Speaking of, look who just woke up."

I looked up from the letter, folding it and putting it in my pocket as Samantha approached with my daughter Leah. She was two years old now, and a bright-eyed little thing like her brother, except her eyes were blue where his were brown. She was my heart this little girl and I knew I'd love her as soon as the Healer put her in my arms.

She reached out to me now and I took her into my arms softly ruffling her dark blond hair. "Ben Ben?" she asked.

"Yeah, Ben Ben says hi," I told her. "You have a good nap."

Leah nodded, smiling. "I hungry."

Putting her down, I took her hand and we moved into the kitchen where her mother was already fixing her a jam and peanut butter sandwich. Sam shook her head, grinning. "As always," she said, cutting it in half.

"Milkies?" Leah said, looking up at me.

"How do you ask?"

"Pwease milkies?"

Smiling I poured some milk into her sippy cup, placing it on the table of her small high chair as Samantha placed her sandwich down. Leah ate as if she had been starving for days, grinning at us as she did so. "She's got her brother's appetite, I suppose," Sam said, sitting down at the table.

I sat down across from her, gazing at her and my daughter.

I never thought that I was allowed this sort of happiness with this sort of girl, but it was weird how things worked out some times.

Samantha did give me my second chance and it was the best thing I had been offered, something I could have had before through Dumbledore, and something I had to find again on my own.

I needed a big change of heart too, to let myself open up for Samantha like I have, to let Ben invade my house (which I realized was a good thing too).

Happiness wasn't a thing to give away or buy, I finally realized as I reached across the table and took Sam's hand in mine.

It was something you had to earn.

And Merlin did I work hard for this.

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**A/N: I hope you guys liked this story. That's the end of it. Thanks you guys for everything and for reading. You're the best.**


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